AOL Discuss Good and Bad Internet

AOL in the UK is keen to discuss the pros and cons of the internet. They’ve set up a public blog where people can engage in forums on the subject. To promote that site and get the conversation going two television commercials have been made, ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’. The www.aol.co.uk/Discuss website features the two ads in streamed Flash form, along with their transcripts. The site has had over 1,000 postings and over 100,000 thousand hits in the first few weeks. AOL hopes to add articles, forums, books and documentaries on the use of the internet. The campaign is a recognition that companies should behave in an open and honest way, engaging in conversation with clients.

Click on the image below to play the GOOD video in YouTube

Click on the image below to play the BAD video in YouTube

Some people think the internet is a good thing. The most powerful educational tool the world has ever known. It’s preserving our history, making sure that in the future we never forget the past. When disaster struck Asia, the volume of aid donated by ordinary people through websites outweighed that of their own governments. The internet is a place that is free of state regulation, censorship and control. The only place where freedom of speech truly exists. Orwell was wrong. It is not the state that holds all the power. It is us. Some people think the internet is a good thing. What do you think? Discuss

Some people think the internet is a bad thing. Thanks to the internet, your identity can be stolen, your home invaded and your savings robbed without anyone setting foot inside your door. The internet is one of the most dangerous weapons every created. A way for the unhinged to spread evil, free of supervision or censorship. A place for mankind to exercise its darkest desires. An open market where you can purchase anything you want. Orwell was right. The internet has taken us to a place where everything we do is watched, monitored and processed without us ever realising. Some people think the internet is a bad thing. What do you think? Discuss. AOL.

Forum Questions So Far

Does learning about different cultures make us more tolerant?

Will Self on the pros and cons of the internet

Is the internet making a difference to political debate?

Can online communities be better than the real thing?

The internet – a wonderful new information channel, or a dangerous one?

Is technology breaking up the family unit or bringing it together?

Internet P2P file sharing – opening up the internet or destroying the principles?

Is the internet good or bad for kids?

Is the internet a good thing or a bad thing?

Internet shopping. Browse, buy or get mugged from the comfort of your own home

What is the internet helping to teach our children about the world?

Is technology killing the art of conversation? Text, email or talk to someone about it.

Is the internet the ultimate invasion of privacy?

The internet. Is freedom of speech a right, or sometimes a wrong?

Are governments and regulators taking over the internet?

Guest editorials are provided by Desmond Morris on the global tribe, Will Self on the pros and cons of the internet, Ekow Eshun on online communities, Jack Patrick Hughes, an 11 year old, on whether the internet is making kids lazy or smart.

Credits

The Good/Bad campaign was developed at Grey London by executive creative director Dave Alberts, creatives Lee Brook and Nick Rowland, with TV producer Stephanie Wellesley.

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